


The Neighbor Problem

by neferlemon



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:22:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6693013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neferlemon/pseuds/neferlemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sunggyu is a public defender, Sungyeol is his neighbor, and there are public indecencies case, destroyed doors, caffeine withdrawal syndrome, and five idiots between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Deer in the Headlight

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by Anonymous in the [InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/InfiniteRarepairFicathon2016) collection. 



> Prompt:  
> Something based on this: "I broke my coffee maker and you noticed how miserable I’ve been, so you let me come over and have a few cups of coffee. Thank you so much."  
> Sunggyu and Sungyeol are neighbours and, of course, Sungyeol is the one who needs his fix of coffee.
> 
> Notes: This spins out of control and get rather long, so I split them into three parts. And this is unbetaed.

Sunggyu walked tiredly into his apartment building with a bag of dinner in his hand. He just moved into this town for a week, after he was accepted as a public defender. He received a notice that he would be placed in Ssangmundong office five days ago, and he found this cheap and clean place, albeit a bit old, and moved in three days ago.

Today was his first day at job and he had a lot of things to catch up. Lucky, the people in his office were kind and helpful, especially the one that’s closest to him in term of age, Jang Dongwoo. The man even offered to help him during his case.

He entered the elevator and pressed 4 while thinking about his first case. It was an unemployed man charged with public indecency by his neighbor because he keep bringing boys into his apartment and fuck them. They were loud and the plaintiff claimed he had been losing too much time to sleep and study during a year of his stay in the apartment. It was simple, usual, boring, mundane case. Not that Sunggyu expect more, it was after all his first case.

But Sunggyu did wonder what would happen if it was something exciting and career-changing, like sexual assault (not that he wish for that to happen to someone) or theft. He thought about it as the elevator stop and the door opened with a ding.

He was about to step out to the hall when he caught a sight of someone trying to open the door of his neighbor’s unit, with a hairpin. The man was on his knees, left hand holding the door handle and right hand inserting and turning the pin. He concentrated hard, judging from the crease of his (half) eyebrow and his deafness to the sound of elevator.

Sunggyu thought if he should run or pretend not to notice, this day was tiring and further trouble is the last thing he wanted. But  he scolded himself. He was a law enforcer, he served justice! He must do something. So, he charged ahead while sighing internally for his (sometimes too much) kindness.

“Who are you and what are you doing?” he grabbed the man’s right hand wrist and held it tight. Then man jumped with eyes opened wide. He looked at Sunggyu from head to toe with a shocked and confused expression.

Sunggyu’s first impression to this man was that he looks like a deer. His eyes were round and huge, his perm hair was fluffy and big, his mouth were thick and pouty. And his expression... yes he indeed looked like a deer, one that was caught in a headlight.

“Who are you?” the man asked back.

“That’s for you to answer. Why are you trying to break into my neighbor’s house?”

“Your neighbor’s... I’m not trying to break in... this is my house!” the man tried to jerk his hand away. Sunggyu held him tighter.

“If this is your house, why were you trying to open it with a hairpin?”

“I lost my key!” the boy finally lost his initial shock and started getting annoyed. This time he succeed in breaking Sunggyu’s grip.  Sunggyu looked at him. Well, he actually haven’t meet any of his neighbors yet, he was too busy. But what if this guy lied?

“Prove it that you’re the owner of this house,” Sunggyu said finally.

“Fine!” the man took his wallet and showed Sunggyu his ID.

The man is in the ID picture was indeed him. His name was Lee Sungyeol and his address was... exactly this apartment. Sunggyu started to regret everything he said and did since getting out of elevator as he felt his cheeks getting warm.

“Uh, well... I’m sorry,” he lamely said. Lee Sungyeol was not impressed.

“You just made my day worse, which I didn’t think actually possible considering what shit I’ve been through today,” he said. “Who are you anyway?”

“I’m the owner of this house,” Sunggyu pointed to his door. Lee Sungyeol groaned.

“You’re saying you live in front of my house? God.”

Sunggyu was kinda offended. He knew he was wrong but it wasn’t entirely his fault and the man was being rude.

“I’m really sorry but you were suspicious! If you really lost your key why won’t you call a key master or something?”

“I had shit day and I was tired to bone. I just want to go to bed and sleep. I’m planning to call them tomorrow. And then you happened.”

“Uh then... I’m sorry, you can rest now,” Sunggyu bid his goodbye to avoid further embarrassment. He turned around to his own door.

“What’s your name?” suddenly he heard his neighbor asking. He looked at him questioningly. The man shrugged.

“I showed you my name, you should at least tell me yours.”

“Sunggyu,” Sunggyu answered. “My name is Kim Sunggyu.”

 

  
  
The next day, Sunggyu forgot about the incident because when he entered his office, someone already waiting for him. That someone was a handsome, twenty something man with jutting lips and pointy nose and eyes that reminded him of puppy.

“Sunggyu, this is your client, Nam Woohyun,” Dongwoo introduce the man to him in his usual cheerful manner. Sunggyu raised his eyebrow, okay, so this is the man who brings different boy every night into his apartment and fuck them loudly.

“Hello,” Sunggyu greeted him and tried his best to smile. “I’m sorry to make you wait. I’m Kim Sunggyu.”

“You must help me,” was Woohyun’s first word to him. “This is so unfair! I’m just enjoying my youth and live my life quietly. That Lee Sungjong is just too nosey. I bet he’s actually jealous that I get to date and get laid while he is preoccupied in his room, studying all day. Scratch that, studying all year!”

“According to victim, you’re not exactly quiet, Nam Woohyun-ssi,” Sunggyu said dryly. “That’s exactly why he filed a complain.”

“According to what victim? I’m the victim here!” the man genuinely looked offended. Sunggyu took a seat and faced his client.

“Let’s just hear your story first,” Sunggyu said.

Woohyun told him everything. The man was talkative and had no problem explaining his, ehm, sexual activities with the boys (he even rather enthusiast about it). By the time he finished talking, three hours has passed and Sunggyu was already exhausted.

“Okay, Woohyun-ssi. I understand your concern and I’ll work on it. Maybe I’ll check your apartment later, to conduct some investigation.”

“Alright, Lawyer Kim. Sometimes I need to go out though, so I’ll just leave my key under my potted plant near my door. Feel free to enter my room,” Woohyun said.

Sunggyu said that was unnecessary and dangerous, but Woohyun said there’s nothing worth stealing from his apartment. He also said he trusts Sunggyu.

Woohyun was the kind of person with abundant emotion, and maybe he was a bit carried away in his feeling, but Sunggyu could see that he was a good person inside. He just had a very big heart and very large supplies of love and affection, and he needed to constantly gave them to other people. Basically he was just misunderstood.

And Sunggyu live for this kind of people.  
  


 

Sunggyu was buried under his thick blanket. It was autumn and the weather was getting colder, so nothing beat burritoed himself on the bed in the morning and he would gladly sacrifice his breakfast for the extra minutes.

Except then he heard banging on his door.

He tried to ignore it and pressed his pillow on his ears. But the bang was so loud it went through the pillow.

He squinted his eyes. It was only 7.

The bang was heard again, this time it sounded desperate. Sunggyu started to think it was emergency. Was the apartment on fire? Or was someone in pain and needed help?

He dragged himself to the door and opened it.

His deer look alike neighbor was standing in full blown panic, his pupils were dilated, his hands were trembling, and his breath fast and shallow. Sunggyu’s internal alarm immediately rang.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “Are you hurt? Are you sick?”

“I...” Sungyeol said. “I need a drink.”

“Sure,” Sunggyu responded fast. “Sit down, I’ll give you water and you can tell me what happened.”

“No, not water!” Sungyeol screamed. “Give me coffee!”

Sunggyu was confused? Coffee?

“Do you have any coffee? Do you have a coffeemaker? Oh, God, please tell me you do.”

“I... do... but I don’t have any coffee bean.”

“It doesn’t matter. Wait here,” and the man disappear into his own apartment before returning with a bag of coffee bean.

“Please let me use your coffeemaker.”

“Uh, sure, yes.”

10 minutes later Sungyeol was sitting on the living room couch, sipping his coffee calmly. Sunggyu eyed him from his position near the bookshelf.

“So... what happened?”

“My coffeemaker was broken,” Sungyeol answered. “Thank you for letting me use yours,” he lifted his cup into the air, as if making and imaginary toast with him.

“Yes. And then?”

“And then I was saved! I am alive right now because of your help,” he said.

“No, I mean, that’s all? So you were looking half dead before just because you can’t have your coffee?” Sunggyu asked in disbelief. “You disturbed my precious morning because of coffee?”

“Hey, I was having a caffeine withdrawal symptoms before. It’s a serious matter!” Sungyeol argued.

“Not as serious as me losing my sleep,” Sunggyu grumbled. Well, it was too late now to go back to bed so he headed to the bathroom to prepare for work. “You can leave when you finish,” Sunggyu says before he leave the living room.

“Wait, until I can afford a new coffeemaker, can I brew my coffee here?” Sungyeol asked.

“No,” Sunggyu said, deadpanned. They only knew each other for two days.

“Oh, come on. You see how I get when I don’t drink my morning coffee,” Sungyeol pleaded.

“I’m not opening my door for you every morning,” Sunggyu said and started to leave but Sungyeol raised his right hand. On his wrist the were bluish, fading bruise and Sunggyu immediately felt guilty.

“I didn’t complain when you assaulted me that night! The least you can do to pay me is letting me borrow your coffeemaker!”

“Assaulted? What? I was trying to protect your house from potential break in!” he argued but Sungyeol shook his hand on his face. His skin was pale, so the bruise looked ugly and Sunggyu was weak when dealing with guilt. “That’s not fair, you’re taking advantage of my guilt!”

“All is fair in love and coffee,” Sungyeol said, smiled as he leaned back into the couch, enjoying his victory.  
  


 

Since then, every morning Sungyeol would bang his fist to Sunggyu’s door to get his daily dose of coffee. Sunggyu tried to ask him to knock softly but soon realized it was hopeless attempt and after a week he just gave Sungyeol his spare key so he wouldn’t be awoken by him.

Now he always woke up with aroma of coffee filled up his apartment. It was actually nice and soon it became their routine.

“Was that eggs?” Sunggyu asked as he enter the living room and saw two plates of fried eggs, sunny side up, on the coffee table.

“I’m hungry and there’s only eggs on the frig. I made one for you too because you seem to never have breakfast.”

“I don’t really cook,” said Sunggyu as he sat beside Sungyeol and took a bite. “This is good.”

“You know, although we always spend morning together, I don’t even know what do you do,” Sungyeol said. “What’s your job?”

“I’m a public defender,” Sunggyu said. “I work at the law office near the station.”

He chewed his eggs as he looked at Sungyeol. “What about you? Why do you always have time to come here every morning? What is your job?”

“I’m a stage actor,” Sungyeol said. “But my last play ended a week ago and my next won’t start until next month.”

So he’s an actor. Sunggyu should’ve thought that he would have a job in the entertainment industry, the man was handsome, not that he would admit it loudly.

“You don’t look like an actor to me,” he said.

“Wait until you see me on stage,” Sungyeol answered. “I’ll give you a ticket for my play next month.”

“I’m waiting,” Sunggyu finished his eggs and went to the bathroom. “By the way, do you know how to go to Hwangmundong from here?”

“Just take a bus number 49. Why?” Sungyeol shouted from the living room.

“I have to go there to day to investigate,” Sunggyu put a toothpaste on his toothbrush.

“You’re not going to the office? Can I tag along?” Sunggyu almost swallowed his toothpaste.

“What? No!” Sunggyu spluttered.

“Oh come on! I promise you a ticket for my play!”

“Unlike yours, my job is not a show,” Sunggyu tried to explain as he started showering. When he finished, he tried to reach a towel and realized that he’s out of the clean one.

“Um, Sungyeol! Do you think you can get me a fresh towel from my bedroom?”

“I don’t think so~,” Sungyeol answered in a sing-songey voice that gave Sunggyu a bad feeling.

“What?!”

“I’ll give you one if you give me the right answer to my question...” Sungyeol’s voice was rather eerie in Sunggyu’s ears. Sunggyu gritted his teeth.

“What is the question?”

“Can I tag along?”  
  


 

Both of them went to Hwangmundong one hour later. Sunggyu gave a dirty look to Sungyeol all the way from their apartment to here but that didn’t falter Sungyeol’s excitement.

“Oh, I think we found the right apartment!” he exclaimed happily while pointing to an old apartment. They went inside together. The apartment was even older than theirs and it was only 4 levels, and there was no elevator.

They stopped on the 4th floor and found Woohyun’s door, 402. Lee Sungjong’s apartment, the plaintiff, was right next to it on the unit 403.

“What exactly are we investigating here?”

“What I’m investigating here is whether Woohyun’s voice can really go through the wall and disturb Lee Sungjong,” Sunggyu searched the potted plant near Woohyun’s apartment and found a key. They entered Woohyun apartment with that key.

“You assaulted me when I’m trying to enter my own house and now you break in to your client’s house!” Sungyeol complained. Sunggyu rolled his eyes.

“I didn’t assault you and Woohyun gave me permission.”

Woohyun’s house was screaming his (over) affectionate personality. There were photos of him and his many... lovers? There were heart shaped post its scattered with message someone would write after one night stand. Sunggyu shuddered. There were love quotes printed and posted on the wall. 

“I suggest you not to sit on his bed, couch, chair, or any flat surface in this apartment,” Sunggyu warned Sungyeol.

“This man sounds good in bed!” Sungyeol said rather excitedly and Sunggyu scowled.

“Why would you think like that?!”

“These post its say it all. You wouldn’t left a thank you or your number if you didn’t have a hell of good sex.”

Sunggyu hit him and asked him to focus on helping him.

“So, how will you exactly conduct that experiment?”

“I’m going to leave the TV on and try to listen from outside. If I can’t hear the sound then maybe Lee Sungjong also can’t actually hear Woohyun’s activities with his boys and I can defend Woohyun.”

Sunggyu turned on the television and left the apartment. He closed the door and tried to listen but nothing could be heard. But he wasn’t sure yet.“What if it can’t be heard from outside but can be heard from next door?” Sunggyu asked.

“Well, let’s find out,” Sungyeol said. “There was a notice below that room 401 was undergoing a renovation so they want other residents in 4th floor to understand the activity.”  
Sunggyu was glad at that observation.

“You were not as useless as I think,” he said happily.

“Of course!”

They went to 401 room and it was locked. Sungyeol quickly took his hair pin out and opened it.

“Wait, Sungyeol! This is tresspassing!”

“Nobody live here so it’s okay,” Sungyeol insisted. “Come on, let’s make your first case successful!”

Sunggyu gave up and put his ear on the wall sharing with Woohyun’s apartment.

“I can’t hear the TV,” he said.

“What if I go there and try to speak to you?”

“Good idea. Go!”

Sunggyu waits for a minute and try to speak.

“Sungyeol!”

No answer.

“Well, this is good finding. Guess sound can’t really be heard even if they share a wall,” Sunggyu murmured.

He was about to leave the apartment when he heard a moan.

A very loud and sexual moan.

At first he freezed, afraid that the apartment was actually not empty and the owner was having... sex in one of the room. But the apartment was indeed empty and was being renovated, with wallpaper being scrapped and floor bare of carpet. So  the moans came from... next door.

And the only person next door was Lee Sungyeol.

The moans continued, loud and long and sexy. Sunggyu should stop this madness immediately. But he was frozen and he started to get flushed. Blood rushed south and his pants tightened. Before he knew it his imagination brought him an image of Lee Sungyeol sprawled on Woohyun’s bed, doing things to his body, knowing that Sunggyu listening to him next door.

The moans intensified and getting desperate. That kid didn’t really... did it right?  
Sunggyu forced himself to calm down before his arousal getting out of control and left the 401 unit. He was standing for a minute full in front of 402 before finally opened the door.

To his relief (or dissappointment), Sungyeol didn’t look like he was just finished jerking himself off. But damn the moan sounds real. Looked like he was indeed an actor.

“What were you doing!” he screamed to Sungyeol. The boy just grinned.

“Can you hear my moans?” he asked so casually, so normal and innocent and Sunggyu kinda wanted to slap his grins.

“I can,” he said. “But you didn’t have to moan like that! You just have to talk loudly or something.”

“Eeey, you know how different it is the volume between people talking and people having sex,” Sungyeol argued. “And I imagine this Woohyun person is that good so of course his partners will be loud.”

Sunggyu swallowed his irritation and sighed instead.

“This discovery won’t help my defense at all.”

“You will find a way eventually,” Sungyeol encouraged.

“Let’s get out of this apartment first. I find this room rather unsanitary.”

When they opened the door, they were standing face to face with a very handsome boy in front of the door. The boy was wearing a very deep scowl and the deadliest glare Sunggyu ever saw in his life.

“I thought the lawsuit will make your boyfriend understand! But no, you were blatantly having sex in the middle of the day when children are awake and people are trying to do something productive with their life –“

“Sex is productive, though,” Sungyeol interrupt and Sunggyu had to glare at him because, not helpful at all.

The person in front of them was apparently Lee Sungjong, the neighbor who file the lawsuit.

“And now there are even two of you! Did you just have a threesome? God!” the boy ruffled his hair in frustration. “Bring Nam Woohyun out, I need to talk to him!”

“Listen, Lee Sungjong-ssi, there was a misunderstanding...”

“How do you know my name?” Sungjong cut sharply and Sunggyu and Sungyeol actually whimpered.

“Lawyer Kim!” a voice interrupt them and they all saw Woohyun coming up from the stairs. “What happened?”

“Lawyer? This is your lawyer? You even sleep with your lawyer?” Sungjong screamed murder to Woohyun. Woohyun threw his hands up.

“Sleep with him? What? Of course not! What are you talking about? I was out all morning!”

“But I heard people having sex in your house, Nam! Were that...” he looked at Sunggyu and Sungyeol with narrowed eyes and came into a conclusion. “Did you just had sex in your client’s house when he’s out?”

“WHAT?!” Sunggyu, Sungyeol, and Woohyun screamed in unison?

“Did you, Lawyer Kim? I didn’t give you permission to enter my house to do that! And why would you bring your boyfriend to work?!”

“He is not my boyfriend! And we didn’t have sex!”

“But I’m sure I heard –“

“That was misunderstanding!”

Sunggyu ended up explaining what happened in Woohyun’s living room. When he finished, Sungjong nodded his head from his place near refrigerator (he, like Sunggyu, refused to sit on anything).

“Okay, now we all know what happened. But I still feel very disturbed by your action,” he said to Sunggyu. “I’ll tell this to my prosecutor.”  
Sunggyu sighed. “I’m sorry that we’ve disturbed you but what we did is not something illegal, Sungjong-ssi, so please note that this can’t be charged against us.”

“I don’t know, my prosecutor’s rather capable,” he said and left with left hanging on the air.

“Snotty little bastard!” Woohyun sticked a tongue to Sungjong’s back. “But Lawyer Kim, I didn’t know you have such a cute boyfriend!”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”/”I’m not cute.”

“So you’re not his boyfriend!” Woohyun beamed. “Why don’t you stay here longer, then? What’s your name?”

Sunggyu groaned. He was about to witness Woohyun’s flirting and luring his one night stand.

“My name is Lee Sungyeol,” Sungyeol sounded cheerful. “Hey, Woohyun-ssi, I’m really curious. Are you really as skilled in bed as those post its indicate?”

“Why don’t you find out yourself?” Woohyun’s voice dropped an octave.

“Okay, we’re leaving, Sungyeol,” Sunggyu clapped his hands and pointed at the door.

“Lawyer Kim can leave, you can stay,” Woohyun said with pointed look at Sungyeol.

“Nope, he can’t,” Sunggyu put his hands on Sungyeol’s shoulders.

“You said he isn’t you boyfriend!” Woohyun protested.

“Not but he is my friend,” Sunggyu said.

“Am I?” Sungyeol asked.

“So what? If Sungyeol wants to stay he can stay!”

“Can’t. Conflict of interest. He’s my friend. You’re my client. So, no,” Sunggyu tried to reason. That was made up, of course, but he wouldn’t leave Sungyeol under Woohyun’s clutch. Thankfully, both Woohyun and Sungyeol were stupid enough to not question his reason.

“That’s too bad,” Woohyun said wistfully. “Solve my case faster, yeah, Lawyer Kim? So Sungyeol and me can spend time together.”

Sungyeol laughed. “Yeah, I’d like to be friend with you too, Woohyun-ssi. Hope you win the case.”

“Just call me Woohyun. How old are you by the way?”

“I’m 25,” Sungyeol said.

“I’m 26, so you can call me Woohyun Hyung.”

“Okay, Hyung!”

“See you, Sungyeol-ah!”

They bid farewell and Sunggyu just watched their conversation while grumbling. Why did Woohyun so greasy and Sungyeol so chummy? Both of them were so annoying he want to vomit.

Wait, why would he care anyway?


	2. Mad Hatter's Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected (and unwanted) companies at Sunggyu's apartment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry it took me so long. My work's taking up all my time.

They separated midway, Sungyeol continued to his home while Sunggyu to his office. Dongwoo waited for him with a twinkle in his eyes. Sunggyu didn’t like it.

“Heard you had sex in your client’s apartment when he was away, Sunggyu-yah!” he greeted him loudly. Sunggyu tried to calm his nerves.

“I didn’t have sex. Did Lee Sungjong call?”

“His prosecutor did,” Dongwoo answered. “Thankfully Boss was out of the office and I’m the one receiving the call! I won’t tell him.”

“Thank you, Sunbae. You’re the best,” Sunggyu smiled thankfully and sat on his chair.

“Who is his prosecutor anyway?” Sunggyu looked at the lawsuit document. “Lee Howon. Is he good?”

“He’s _good_ ,” Dongwoo answered but with a strange haziness in his eyes. “He’s the best out of the rookie prosecutor. He only started serving last year but we won 2/3 of his overall case. And he’s hot. Smoking hot.”

“Errr, okay,” said Sunggyu. “That made my problem more complicated. I just investigated Woohyun’s apartment and found out that Sungjong’s complain is pretty reasonable.”

Dongwoo suddenly jumped in front of him and gripped both of his shoulders.

“In that case, why don’t I stay at your house tonight and help you with the defence?”

“Will you?” Sunggyu looked at Dongwoo hopefully. He did need help.

“Of course.”

“Thanks, Sunbae. You’re an angel.”

 

When they arrived at Sunggyu’s apartment, it was fragrant with coffee scent but the coffeemaker was clean. Looked like Sungyeol left just several minutes ago and Sunggyu regretted not came home earlier.

“If you want to clean yourself first, the bathroom is right there. I’ll change my clothes and prepare the materials,” Sunggyu pointed to the bathroom and Dongwoo nodded.

“Why does it smell like coffee here?” he asked.

“My friend probably brewed some coffee before he left,” Sunggyu answered.

“Oooh so you have a roommate?”

Sunggyu gave it a thought.

 “Well, something like that.”

“I want to see him!” Dongwoo suddenly got so excited. “Do you have a picture of him?”

“I don’t have any,” Sunggyu said, and then frowned. He and Sungyeol never take any selca. Not that they should, but... maybe they should. They’ve been close to each other these days, right?

Not really, Sunggyu thought. He didn’t know a lot of things about Sungyeol. He only knew his name, and his addiction to coffee, and how stubborn he was, and how manipulative he was. Oh, and how he sounded so sexy when he moaned.

Sunggyu shook his head. No, that wasn’t counted.

He didn’t even know Sungyeol’s age. Had he known, he’d made Sungyeol call him Hyung and not let him boss around.

“Awww that’s too bad,” Dongwoo pouted and Sunggyu almost feel bad until he became suspicious. “Why are you so curious of him anyway?”

“Nothing,” Dongwoo said quickly. But after some times he continued, “Was he the one you bring to Nam Woohyun’s house today?”

That’s it.

“Sunbae, are you saying that you actually want to stay here because you are curious about him and not because you want to genuinely help me?”

“Well... I do want to help you but I’m curious too about who you were having sex with,” Dongwoo grinned sheepishly.

“Having sex?!” a high pitched scream was suddenly heard from the door. Sunggyu almost got a heart attack.

A young man, probably a couple years younger than Sunggyu, stood in front of the living room door Even with his jaw slacked with shock and his eyes bulged out of disbelief, Sunggyu could see that the man was very good looking. The problem was Sunggyu had no idea who he was.

“You really had a sex with him? This soon? I can’t believe it! Did you lure him with coffee? You horrible person, and you say you work for justice?”

Both Dongwoo and Sunggyu were stunned with this stranger’s sudden outburst.

“I didn’t have sex with anyone!” Sunggyu defended himself. “And who are you anyway? Why are you in my house?”

The question made the handsome man realized that he wasn’t supposed to be here. When he saw Sunggyu and Dongwoo he blushed furiously. He casted his eyes down and mumbled.

“Ah, I’m sorry I intrude your house. The door was open and I just entered without thinking... I kind of want to meet you since he told me about you,” he looked at Sunggyu. “I’m Sungyeol’s best friend, Myungsoo.”

“Oh, yeah. Hello, Myungsoo.” Sunggyu didn’t know what to do with this Sungyeol’s _best friend_. One more thing he didn’t know about Sungyeol, apparently. Thankfully Dongwoo was socially smarter than him.

“Please sit down here, Myungsoo-ssi. Do you want some tea?” Dongwoo casually offered him tea like this is his house.

“Ah, yes, thank you,” Myungsoo said shyly. Dongwoo went to the kitchen, Sunggyu was left with Myungsoo on the living room. The atmosphere was thick with awkwardness.

“So...” Sunggyu tried to make a conversation, “you are Sungyeol’s best friend.”

“Yes, since high school,” he answered. “We were from the same hometown and attended the same university.”

“Errr... and Sungyeol told you a lot about me?”

“Yes. He told me you hurt him when you met for the first time –“

“I didn’t! That was accident!”

“And how you save him from caffeine deprivation, and how you meet everyday for coffee.”

“Oh....”

“Do you really... didn’t do it with him?” It took some time for Sunggyu to understand Myungsoo’s question and when he got it he kinda didn’t believe his ears because... did Myungsoo seriously want to talk about his best friend’s sex life?

“Of course not! We’re not that close! We’re just sharing... a coffeemaker.”

Myungsoo eyed him suspiciously.

“But he has your apartment key.”

“Yeah, but that’s only because I don’t want to wake up every morning just to open my door for him.”

“Oh....”

Awkwardness ensued again. Thankfully Myungsoo’s phone rang so it didn’t last long. He slided the screen and answered cheerfully, “Yeol-ah!”

Sunggyu’s ears prickled hearing that nickname.

“I’m at your neighbor’s apartment!”

“Yes.”

Soon after they heard footsteps entered and Sungyeol appeared in the living room. He looked at Myungsoo confused.

“Soo! What are you doing here?”

Sunggyu didn’t miss the affectionate nickname.

“I just want to meet Sunggyu that you’re talking about,” Myungsoo said.

Sungyeol laughed fondly. “You’re so weird, Kim Myungsoo. What will Sunggyu think of you, invading his house just like that?”

Sungyeol looked at Sunggyu. “Well, Sunggyu, this is my best friend Kim Myungsoo. Myungsoo this is my neighbor Kim Sunggyu.”

Sunggyu internally scowled with the difference between _best friend_ and _neighbor_.

“It’s Hyung,” Sunggyu said finally. Sungyeol looked at him confused.

“What?”

“It’s Hyung. I’m older than you, I’m 28.”

“I always know you are old,” Sungyeol said. “Fine, Hyung! But don’t expect me to start using formality.”

“Why you little –“

“Oh, is this Sunggyu’s boyfriend?” Dongwoo’s voice cut him off. He arrived from the kitchen with a tray of tea. Sunggyu and Myungsoo denied him together.

“He’s not my boyfriend.”/”He’s not his boyfriend.”

Neither Dongwoo nor Sungyeol cared. Dongwoo put the tray on the table and shook Sungyeol’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Jang Dongwoo, Sunggyu’s senior in the office.”

“I’m Lee Sungyeol, nice to meet you too! Are you staying here tonight?”

“Yes, I’m helping Sunggyu on his first case. I heard you help him too this morning?” Dongwoo asked and moved his eyebrows accordingly. Sungyeol laughed and soon both of them were sitting on the couch, talking to each other very enthusiastically with the main topic was Sunggyu being a loser both at work and at home.

Sunggyu looked at his suddenly full living room and massaged his temple. He was having a sudden attack of migraine.

“I’ll take a shower first,” he excused himself. He went to the bedroom, crossed the room to the balcony and calmed himself there.

It wasn’t like he hate people coming on his living room, he just need to sort his thought. He was worrying about winning his case (with Woohyun proven to be the whore he was) and confused about Sungyeol (why did he suddenly become aware of Sungyeol’s attractiveness?). And he also thought about Myungsoo. Who was he and what’s his relationship with Sungyeol and what’s his real feeling for Sungyeol?

Sunggyu lost in his thought and didn’t realize time has passed. He started to feel cold when a smell of coffee entered his nostrils and suddenly a warm cup was shoved to his hand.

“Gotta need stronger drink than tea to face them, huh?” Sungyeol’s tone was full of humor.

“Thanks,” Sunggyu accepted it and sipped it. “I’m more of a soju person than coffee person, though.”

“I apologize for Myungsoo barging in here. He’s just being a best friend to me,” Sungyeol said.

“Ah, it’s okay, really,” Sunggyu said althought he wants to ask a lot of thing. Like, was Myungsoo really his _best friend_? Why was he so curious of whether they had sex? Why did they call each other with nickname? Why was Myungsoo so handsome and what Sungyeol thought about him? But he didn’t ask because... well why would he want to know?

“He’s just protective of me,” Sungyeol continued. “He’s been developing theory that you lure me with coffee for sex.”

“Errrr....” Sunggyu didn’t know what to say.

Sungyeol laughed.

“You really don’t need to worry though. Myungsoo might seems weird but he is really kind and tame. Like a kitty.”

A kitty. A deer and a kitty.

He looked at Sungyeol. He looked so handsome, with his plush lips and big sparkling doe eyes. He wanted to hear that mouth moans again like it did before on Woohyun’s apartment. He wanted to see how that eyes look like when he’s aroused.

Shit.

“I’m going to shower,” Sunggyu ran. He would take a very cold shower.

 

Whatever Sunggyu expected when he came from shower, it definitely wasn’t Woohyun on his couch.

But here he was, sitting between Myungsoo and Dongwoo, sipping tea in pursed lips while Sungyeol tried what look like an attempt to calm him down. Even when he was upset, Woohyun was enjoying his attention, oblivious with Myungsoo’s attempt to drill a hole in his head with his glare.

“Oh, here he is,” Dongwoo looked up when Sunggyu got out from the bathroom.

“Why are you here and who give you this address?” Sunggyu asked, his tone promised a painful death to the owner of the name in Woohyun’s answer.

“I have emergency things to tell you!” Woohyun said. His expression a combination of anger, frustation, humiliation, and more anger. “You wouldn’t belive it. Sungjong barged into my house when I’m in the middle of having sex and chase my partner away!”

“What the fuck,” Sunggyu cursed his life.

“Yes, what the fuck, right?” Woohyun nodded, a bit happy to gain Sunggyu’s approval.

“That what the fuck is actually directed to you,” Myungsoo said helpfully to Woohyun and for a second Sunggyu develop a sudden liking to the weird boy.

“What do you mean it was for me?” Woohyun looked offended. “This is emergency, I want to consult you, can I sue him back for disturbing my sex life and invading my privacy?”

“Woohyun-ssi, it’s too late for this. Come back to me tomorrow morning in the office and I’ll listen to you,” Sunggyu shooed him. Woohyun start protesting but Sunggyu wouldn’t listen anyway.

“But he’s here already, let’s just hear what he wants to say,” Sungyeol looked at Sunggyu and pulled him to sit beside him. Sunggyu was too tired to fight him (or so he thought).

“Thank you, Sungyeol-ah. You’re better than Lawyer Kim. If this case is over, you should go out with me!” he exclaimed happily and earned a whack from Myungsoo.

Woohyun told his story about how Sungjong actually broke his door and barged into his room, dragged his partner out (naked) and locked him out, and then went into half an hour of speech. He only stopped when their other neighbors protested his high volume yelling.

Sunggyu thought this was an opportunity to attack Sungjong back. Dongwoo seemed to have the same thought. Myungsoo was still busy sending death glare to Woohyun. Sungyeol looked thoughtful.

“Why do you think Sungjong did that, Woohyun Hyung?” Sungyeol asked.

“Do what? Humiliating me and my partner?” Woohyun asked angrily. “He obviously hate me!”

“But don’t you think you deserve it? You did disturb him with your loud sex voice,” Sungyeol continued. Sunggyu looked at the taller boy, interested. What was he trying to accomplish?

“If my sex really distub people, the other neighbors will also complaint, right? But they don’t. It’s only him. I don’t have any other explanation except that he hate me for no reason at all. He just want me to suffer,” Woohyun said, quite miserable.

“I understand that Sungjong person’s feeling,” Myungsoo chirped.

“He destroyed my door!” Woohyun stomped.

Someone banged on the door.

“Like that sound right now, except harder.”

“Was that out door?” Sungyeol asked, looking at everyone. They looked at him back, except Woohyun who was still busy with his story.

“Then my door flied open!” Woohyun screamed dramatically.

Then their door flied open with a loung bang. Sunggyu actually jumped from his seat.

They all looked fearfully to the entrance.

Sungjong stood there, panting, red faced, and panicked.

Sunggyu looked at the intruder and at his destroyed door.

“WHAT THE FUCK!”

 

“Nam Woohyun, I can explain what happened!” Sungjong didn’t give a fuck to Sunggyu’s what the fuck. Woohyun was the only person he looked at after he gained entrance to Sunggyu’s apartment. Clearly he was chasing him. Woohyun didn’t want any of that, though.

“Get out!” Woohyun stood up and shouted.

“Woohyun-ssi, this is not your house. But yeah, Sungjong-ssi, get out!” Sunggyu gave him the nastiest glare he can muster.

“I’m sorry that I destroyed your door. I have reason,” Sungjong continued, still looking at Woohyun. Woohyun groaned.

“I think you have bigger thing to apologize than just destroying my door,” Woohyun replied. His voice shaking with anger.

“And _my_ door,” said Sunggyu but nobody’s listening.

“What reason?” Sungyeol asked. Woohyun and Sunggyu groaned in unison. No, they didn’t want to listen to Sungjong’s reason tonight. He could explained it later in the court room.

Sungjong was about to answer but Sunggyu cut him.

“This is really inappropriate for you to be here, Sungjong-ssi. And it will be even more inappropriate if you talk here.”

“Oh, Sunggyu Hyung, come on! Don’t be so uptight, he’s here already, let’s just hear him,” Sungyeol said but Sunggyu glared at him.

“We can’t have informal contact outside of office building, Sungyeol,” he explained.

“What he said is right, Sungjong-ssi. You shouldn’t have come here, it’s highly inappropriate,” another foreign voice joined them.

Oh, great. Another stranger.

A man with such a strong charisma and well defined muscle entered the living room. He was shorter than most of them, but he sure was more powerful than any of them. Woohyun, Sungyeol, and Dongwoo looked at the man with awe.

Sunggyu too, but for a whole different reason.

“Howon-ssi,” he heard Dongwoo whispered. Sunggyu snapped from his disbelief and looked at Dongwoo.

“He is Lee Howon?” Dongwoo nodded.

“But I thought your name is Hoya?” Sunggyu asked, this time looked at Hoya.

“It was my nickname back then,” Hoya, or Howon, said while looked back at Sunggyu. “When I read that I’ll face off with Kim Sunggyu, I didn’t think it is you.”

“You know each other?” Dongwoo asked, confused. Other people in the room shared the same feeling.

“Yeah, he was my rival at law school,” Sunggyu said. “And also an asshole.”

“We were not rival,” Hoya clarified. “The level between us was vastly different.”

“Jerk.” Sunggyu’s vein was throbbing on his temple, his body shaking. He didn’t realize he would be this angry upon seeing his old rival but he was.

Sungyeol sensed danger and grabbed both Sungjong and Hoya.

“I’ll show them the way out!”

When both of them were out of the room, Woohyun faced him and complained. “It’s not fair, why did he got that piping hot sex god as a lawyer and I got _you_?!”

 

 

Let's just say it was a good thing that Woohyun had good reflex.

 

 

It took some time to sort the mess and sent everybody home. Sungyeol came back after a while with some cash on envelope (from Sungjong, for the door repairing cost). Woohyun needed a bit of physical threat from both Myungsoo and Sunggyu but finally agreed to leave, and finally Sungyeol and Myungsoo disappeared together to Sungyeol’s unit.

Sunggyu looked at the closed door a second too long before closing his own door and sealed it with shoe rack.

“Aaaw, look at yourself, Sunggyu-yah,” Dongwoo cooed. “Your love for Sungyeol is beautiful.”

“It’s not love,” Sunggyu said.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Dongwoo snorted. “Don’t think I don’t notice how you look at him.”

“It was only lust,” Sunggyu said. _Yes, it was just because his moans on Woohyun’s apartment today_. He sighed while turned himself around to the living room and faced a bright eyed Dongwoo.

“Oh God so you did have sex with him!”

“I DID NOT!”

 

Sunggyu ended up falling asleep slumped on his coffee table while making his defence. He had a nightmare where he came home from work and found his apartment in an afterstate of what look like Woohyun had just invited his army of one night stands over. He avoided touching everything before entering his bedroom, and on his bed Sungyeol lied, curled under Myungsoo’s arms while the later stuck a tongue to him. Hoya laughed at him from the balcony while Dongwoo pleaded for him to wake up because it all were just illusion and Sungjong was so angry with Woohyun having _army_ -some sex and proceeded to destroy all the door in his apartment one by one.

He jumped awake from his sleep when he realized that the bang on the door was very much real – not a dream. For a second he was afraid it was Sungjong again, but then the voice over the bang calmed him down.

“Sunggyu Hyung, it’s Sungyeol! Open the door, I need my coffee!”

Sungyeol was very loud for 7 AM in the morning and he glanced at Dongwoo, who snored as if there was no 178 cm of a (sexy) neighbor screaming and pounding on the door begging to be let in.

Sunggyu stood up, groaned because his muscle was in pain from being slumped, and walked to the entrance. He removed the shoe racks and opened the door.

“Good morning, you look like shit, Hyung,” he greeted cheerfully. Even when he was not fully awake, Sunggyu tried to find any love bite and swollen lips and limping but Sungyeol thankfully looked very normal and didn’t look like he got laid last night.

“You’re so cute when you’re half awake, Hyung!” Sungyeol chuckled as he let himself in. “What do you want for breakfast?”

“Beansprout soup.”

“Aaay that was strecthing my kindness, but since you had a rough night I’ll give in just this once,” Sungyeol said as he went to the kitchen. Sunggyu followed him and sat himself on the dining chair, watching his neighbor skillfully brewed coffee and prepared soup.

He had a really nice long legs that matched well with his lithe body, Sunggyu decided. But...

“You have no ass,” he commented and after he heard himself, all his sleepiness gone. What the fuck (this time it was directed to himself). He mentally slapped himself.

“Gee, thanks,” Sungyeol said from the counter. “Next time don’t open your mouth when you’re sleepy. You’re cuter when you're silent.”

“No, sorry, it was sleep talking. I don’t mind your ass–“ and this time he physically smacked his own forehead.

Sungyeol gave him a weird look and he excused himself to the bathroom.

They had breakfast together. Sungyeol was a decent cook, his beansprout soup warmed Sunggyu’s stomach. Dongwoo even praised that it warmed his heart too. When they finished, Dongwoo grabbed his bag and waited for Sunggyu to leave together.

“You go first, Sunbae,” Sunggyu said. “I’ll be a little bit late, I have to call someone to fix my door and wait for them.”

“Oh, you go too, Hyung,” Sungyeol said. “I’ll take care of this.”

Sunggyu considered this offer. That would be very helpful, so he accepted and thanked Sungyeol.

“Sungyeol’s a good man, don’t you think?” Dongwoo asked him when they were walking. Sunggyu snorted.

“You say that because you only saw his best.”

“Did you ever see his worse moment?”

“Too often,” Sunggyu said as he remembered the loud Sungyeol, the rude Sungyeol, the crazy Sungyeol, the stubborn Sungyeol.

“You are smiling,” Dongwoo said suddenly. “You’re thinking about his worst moment and you have loony smile and gooey eyes. You’re in love with him!”

“I’m not smiling!” Sunggyu exclaimed but he found himself pulling the ends of his lips down. Oh shit. He was in the deep shit.

 

 

The court sent a notice about their trial. It was scheduled two weeks from now. Sunggyu was excited. Sungjong’s outburst last night gave his defence a boost of winning chance. He couldn’t wait to wipe that condescending smirk off Hoya’s face.

The days after Sunggyu was busy with his statement of defence, which he didn’t mind. He was sure he could win this case but didn’t mean he could slack off on his defence. Thankfully, there was no call from Woohyun or Sungjong – meaning there wasn’t any additional trouble. He still woke up with coffee aroma filling his apartement, and lately Sungyeol always made breakfast. Sunggyu was comfortable and satisfied with his life.

Except for one thing: Myungsoo.

The man joined them for dinner three times a week. They usually called for delivery and ate together while watching TV.

Sunggyu watched how Myungsoo would casually snuggled into Sungyeol’s side after dinner.

They looked so good together and Sunggyu felt a pang of jealousy. Kitty and deer, he remembered his own thought.

Sometimes play with his hair. Sometimes put his hand on Sungyeol’s hips. Sungyeol didn’t reciprocate but din’t reject the gesture also.

It confused Sunggyu and he wasn’t fond of being confused. So, on the night when Myungsoo wasn’t with them, he asked Sungyeol.

“Me? And Myungsoo? Together?” he snorted while biting his sweet and sour pork. “No, we’re not like that.”

Sunggyu let out the breath he unconsciously held back.

“But I thought he likes you. The way he looks at you and how he gets so protective of you.”

“Myungsoo’s always like that,” Sungyeol said. “He’s been like that since high school.”

“But... what if he actually does like you since then and you just don’t know?”

“He is not, I assure you,” Sungyeol said. “We are best friend, I’ve confirmed this to him. I asked how he feel about me. Myungsoo likes me, but not romantically. Myungsoo is just... like that.”

They were silent.

“How’s your case going?” Sungyeol asked.

“Good. Very good,” Sunggyu answered, slurping his black bean noodle. “I have big chance of winning this case.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Sungyeol said and maybe he was just imagining it but he heard the reluctance on Sungyeol’s tone. He looked a second at Sungyeol and decided to let it slip.

After dinner, Sungyeol was too lazy to go back to his own apartment.

“Let’s just watch a movie!” he asked Sunggyu excitedly. Sunggyu had his defence ready to submit, so he had no reason to refuse (he didn’t plan to anyway). They put an old James Bond movie and sat on the couch.

In the middle of the movie, Sunggyu felt a little bold and moved closer to Sungyeol. He pretended to be sleepy and leaned his body to Sungyeol, the way he saw Myungsoo snuggled to him. Sungyeol let him and he felt even bolder. He put his head on Sungyeol’s shoulder.

Sungyeol laughed in a very crispy way and Sunggyu’s chest exploded with happiness.

“You grandpa, your head is heavy you know? Why is your head so heavy?” Sungyeol teased him but didn’t shove his head.

“This is why I’m a lawyer, you know? I have a huge brain inside this head.”

“Yeah, yeah you brainy grandpa. I think that’s why you’re shorter than me, your head is too heavy.”

“Shut up, I’m not shorter than you.”

Sungyeol snorted. “Yes, you do. It’s a fact as clear as day.”

Sunggyu didn’t really remember his respond because he was barely awake at that point. Sungyeol was soft and warm and comfortable, and before he knew it he fell asleep.

When he woke up, he didn’t recognize his surrounding for a while. He was not in his bed, and there was no coffee smell. But he remembered last night. He was in the living room, still on the couch, and still leaned to Sungyeol.

No, the more accurate phrase was he was laying on top of Sungyeol, his head on Sungyeol’s chest. Looked like Sungyeol arranged himself to sleep on the couch to not woke Sunggyu up during the night.

“You should’ve woke me up,” he whispered to the sleeping boy.

Sungyeol’s  (pretty) eyelashes fluttered and he mumbled a weak “what”.

“You should’ve woke me.”

“I tried, you grandpa. But you didn’t even stir.”

Sunggyu looked at the boy beneath him fondly. He knew it wasn’t true and he even found Sungyeol insulted him in his half asleep state was cute.

That morning, he finally allowed himself to admit that he love Sungyeol.

 

 

Sunggyu decided to confess to Sungyeol when he win the trial. He told Dongwoo about the plan and the older man squealed.

“You two are perfect for each other,” he said. “If only Hoya would confess to me after the trial.”

“Don’t get your hope up, Hyung, because he will lose the trial,” Sunggyu said confidently.

“Well, he can lose the trial and still confess to me! Do you think I will give different answer according to the trial result?”

“Are you two that close already?” Sunggyu felt a little guilty because Dongwoo had been so attentive to his relationship with Sungyeol but Sunggyu never pay him back.

“I don’t know. We’ve been texting but mostly just as friends.”

“You’re too good for him anyway, Hyung,” Sunggyu said. “Just find someone better. What about Myungsoo?”

Dongwoo gave him dirty look.

“You only offer Myungsoo so you can have Sungyeol all for yourself.”

Sunggyu laughed because his intention was exposed.

“Seriously, Sunggyu? Sungyeol confirmed to you that there’s nothing between them.”

“Yeah, but still. He is so pretty I can’t help but felt threatened. What if he actually likes Sungyeol and Sungyeol just doesn't know because he's so stupid?”

“Why do you hate him very much anyway?” Dongwoo suddenly stood up near the window, avoiding his gaze.

“Who? Myungsoo?”

“Howon.”

“Ah,” Sunggyu said. “I didn’t hate hate him. He was just a real asshole. Did you see how he look down at me that night? Well, he did that to me for my entire law school years, except the final year because he graduated earlier.”

“Do you mind if I date him?”

Sunggyu was surprised. “What? Of course no. You don’t have to ask for my permission to date anyone, Hyung.”

“Howon is a good man,” Dongwoo said. Sunggyu snorted. Dongwoo looked offended. “He is! He is just rather awkward with real people around him and doesn’t know how to express them. Shocking, I know, considering how very eloquent he is in the court room.”

“I know he is, Hyung. Doesn’t mean he’s not an asshole. He’s not a bad man, though. If you want him, you can have him. But if he hurt you in anyway, you gotta tell me, okay?”

Dongwoo ruffled his hair affectionately. “I know you’d say that. Alright then, don’t slander him too hard on the trial, okay?”

Sunggyu huffed, “I can’t promise you that. I can win the case. I have to win the case.”

“Why do you have to wait to the trial to confess? Just confess to him today, or tomorrow. Both of you are clearly for each other anyway.”

“You just want to increase the odds of Hoya confessing to you!”

 

Sunggyu gave it a thought. Should he confess sooner or wait until trial's over?

Sunggyu was no romantic, but he was a planner. What's better than winning his first case and confess to Sungyeol right after? So, after trial it is.


	3. Lawyer's Dilemma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu thought he had to choose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry again that it took me two weeks ㅠ_ㅠ

When Sunggyu went home that night, he found Sungyeol inside. The deer was cooking a delicious smelling beef stew. It was unexpected, because Sungyeol never did that before. Instead of getting irritated because Sungyeol used his kitchen without permission, Sunggyu smiled because it felt so domestic.

“Hey, not expecting you here. Are you cooking dinner?” Sunggyu greeted.

“Ah, yes,” Sungyeol smiled at him. His hands was busy stirring the pot. “Beef stew. I’ve been craving meat since morning.”

“Is there any special occasion for this impromptu dinner party?” Sunggyu sat on the dining chair, observing Sungyeol. He didn’t miss the way Sungyeol’s body tensed.

“Actually, I have something to tell you.”

“What?” this time, it was Sunggyu that went rigid. Sungyeol wasn’t going to tell him that he finally realized his feeling to Myungsoo, right?

“I’ll tell you after we have dinner,” Sungyeol said.

“Why not now?” Sunggyu asked and Sungyeol fidgeted.

“I read that people are less likely to blow up when they’re full,” he grinned and Sunggyu’s heart dropped even more. It sounded more and more like Myungsoo story.

 

 

 

Once they finished dinner and all dishes were put on the dishwasher, they sat on the balcony. Sungyeol brought some cans of cold beer. Sunggyu raised his eyebrows.

“Are we going to talk about this when we’re drunk?”

Sungyeol laughed nervously.

“No, but I feel like I can only say this with the help of alcohol.”

“Is this about Myungsoo?” Sunggyu asked. Sungyeol looked at him confused.

“Why suddenly Myungsoo?”

“I thought you gonna tell me that you and Myungsoo are together...”

For a moment Sungyeol’s guilty expression changed into an annoyed one.

“Hyung, I told you there’s nothing like that between me and Myungsoo! And even if he has feeling for me – which I’m sure he doesn’t – I know for sure that I don’t have that kind of feeling for him.”

Sunggyu fell silent. He knew that he was just assuming thing alone but he couldn’t help but feel jealous. He scratched his neck to hide his embarrassment.

“You sure?” he asked lamely. Sungyeol chuckled.

“Seriously, Hyung. How can you be so annoying and so cute at the same time?” he asked and Sunggyu didn’t think he was assuming the fondness he heard in his tone.

So Sunggyu looked at Sungyeol and he looked at him back. Sunggyu felt the moment came slowly. Alright. Maybe he shouldn’t wait until the trial’s over. Maybe he should just confess now. Maybe he should just kiss him now.

He moved his head closer...

... and Sungyeol said, “so, about the thing I’ve been wanting to talk about...”

Sunggyu jerked his head back. He felt a little stung. Was he rejected? Did Sungyeol just refuse his kiss?

Sunggyu tried not to be upset. Sungyeol did have something he want to talk about so he listened.

“What is it?”

“It’s about Woohyun and Sungjong...”

Out of all things that Sunggyu imagined, this was the farthest from his mind.

“What’s with them?”

Sungyeol’s eyes avoided Sunggyu’s.

“You’ll think that I’m a bit nosey,” he said. “But I think I know what’s wrong with them. Why they do that with each other.”

“You mean, you know why Woohyun fucks a different boy every night and why Sungjong abuses him for that?”

“Yes, Hyung, I think I know why.”

“And why is that?”

“You may think this is silly but I think this is true... they’re in love with each other.”

Sunggyu didn’t know whether to laugh or to pat Sungyeol’s shoulder to comfort him.

“Sungyeol-ah, I think that’s a bit far fetched,” he said. “If they love each other, they won’t sue each other.”

“At first, I doubted my own conclusion too, but the more I think about it, the more sure I am. Hyung, do you know that Woohyun’s one night stand adventure started only after Sungjong moved next to him? Woohyun actually thought Sungjong was attractive when he met him for the first time. He tried to get his attention but Sungjong ignored him. He was heartbroken and tried to move on by having one night stands.  

As for Sungjong, he was actually attracted to Woohyun too at the first time. He was just enjoying Woohyun’s attention too long without giving him any in return. But then he found out that Woohyun’s only playing with his heart and even started parading his one night stand in front of Sungjong’s own eyes.

I think they’re just idiot, both of them. It was all just misunderstanding.”

Honestly, Sunggyu was a little taken aback. When did Sungyeol think about all of that? How?

“When did you even talk to them?”

“I talked to Woohun in SNS,” Sungyeol said. “He was very open and he told me everything about his feelings to Sungjong. And that night when Sungjong came here but you’re too angry to listen to him, I brought him to my apartment.”

Sunggyu was rather baffled with this. “Why don’t you tell me? You can’t do that, you’re an outsider in this case, Sungyeol-ah.”

“I know, but I just want to help,” Sungyeol said nervously. He drank more and more beer. “And I’ve been thinking that... if you maybe can talk to them about this and make them realize their feeling to each other, Sungjong can drop the charge and it will end better for both ends.”

Sunggyu couldn’t believe his ears.

“What do you mean drop the charge!” Sunggyu shouted. “This is my first case, and I’m sure I can win this, too. How could you want this case to be dropped?!”

“I just want everybody to be happy,” Sungyeol answered.

“Well, you just made me unhappy,” Sunggyu said. “This is my case, you were only there to help me. But you acted on your own without me knowing – this is just... you crossed the line, Sungyeol-ah!”

Sunggyu felt angry, hurt, and betrayed. Sungyeol just disregard his boundary, and he implied that he regarded Woohyun and Sungjong’s happiness more important than Sunggyu’s. 

Sungyeol didn’t look at him, he looked at his can of beer.

“Well, the decision is yours,” he said finally, still not looking at Sunggyu. He put his beer down and stood up.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“What about our...” _kiss_. But Sunggyu wasn’t that much of a jerk to actually ask him that.

He just felt that was unfair. Sungyeol did something wrong, and wanted Sunggyu not only to forgive him but also granted his wish, and if not he won’t love him back.

Sunggyu downed the rest of his soju until very late in the night.

 

 

 

Sungyeol didn’t come for coffee the next morning. He spent his day on the office with head throbbing and face looked like shit.

“Why did you waste yourself on weekday?” Dongwoo rubbed his back. “I bet something happened with Sungyeol.”

“It’s over,” Sunggyu said. “It’s over with Sungyeol.”

 

When he went home, he found the door unlocked. He rushed to the living room without taking off his shoes but it wasn’t Sungyeol there.

“You made him cry, Sunggyu Hyung,” Myungsoo sat in the middle of the couch with a scowl.

“Did he cry?” Sunggyu asked. “He shouldn’t cry, it was me who want to cry.”

“Sit down,” Myungsoo said and Sunggyu wondered how the hell he could sound so authoritative in other people’s house.

Sunggyu choose the chair on the opposite of him.

“I will try to be objective and only speak the truth,” Myungsoo said. “Sungyeol loves you.”

Sunggyu was silent.

“Do you know since when? It was since the first time he saw you. He was impressed because you tried to protect his house, a complete stranger for you that time, from a potential break in. He thought you were kind,” Myungsoo snorted and Sunggyu wanted to feel offended but held his tongue.

“And when you let him use your coffeemaker every morning, he worshipped you for days. When he knew about your job, he said it was so fitting of you and wanted to help.

“Sungyeol is very impulsive and spontaneous. He just did what he thought was right. When he found out that the greasy one and the scary one actually love each other, he realized that all of them can be all happier with just one truth.”

“At the cost of my success,” Sunggyu said dryly.

“He was afraid of your reaction, but he told you anyway. He hoped you could be like yourself when he met you, putting other people’s need above yourself.”

“That was such an expensive request,” Sunggyu said.  “I think he’s being unfair to me. He knows I love him and he use my feeling to force me with the decision.”

“When did he force you?”

“He left me that night. He rejected my kiss,” Sunggyu said. “The meaning is clear enough. Either I give up my love for him or my first case.”

Myungsoo blew his bangs up in exasperation.

“Of course he left! Of course he rejected your kiss! For God’s sake, you were having a difficult talk, one that he almost didn’t want to do because he was afraid of your reaction, and you reacted in the exact way that he’s been dreading. You think he would just stay there and kiss? Hasn’t it occured to you that maybe he needs some time or some space?”

Sunggyu didn’t have an answer.

“He loves you!” Myungsoo shouted. “He will come back whatever your decision is.”

Sunggyu looked at Myungsoo in surprise. The boy stood up from his seat.

“Listen, I’m not here to be a back up for Sungyeol. I’m not here to back up his suggestion – I couldn’t care less about those idiots’ feeling for each other. I’m here to remind you that you can do either one of the choices and Sungyeol will still come back because he loves you. I just hope you’re smart enough to choose the better one.”

When Sunggyu closed the door after Myungsoo, he slided down on the floor, back on the door.

He could choose to ignore Sungyeol’s advice and give himself a pat on the back when he win the trial. His first case would be a success. Sungyeol would still be here and he would confess to Sungyeol. Woohyun would fuck more boys. Sungjong would be even more pissed to Woohyun.

Or he could choose Sungyeol’s advice to talk to Woohyun and Sungjong and stop the couple from being miserable. Woohyun would stop brining boys home. Maybe Sungjong would visit him instead. There would be no winning. Sungyeol would also be here. Maybe he even would flash them a hearty gummy smile and laugh because he’s happy.   

Both options have Sungyeol in it. The decision was entirely in Sunggyu’s control. Actually, it always was.

So Sunggyu decided....

 

 

 

After Myungsoo’s prep talk, Sunggyu was so sure of his decision but today, he wasn’t that confident. He splashed some water to his face to clean his mind and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

“You can do this, Sunggyu.”

Outside, Woohyun, Sungjong, and Hoya already waited for him. Dongwoo was there too, to give him moral support (or so he said, although Sunggyu knew he was only there to ogle Hoya). He invited Sungyeol and Myungsoo too, but he hadn’t seen them before he went to the bathroom.

In five minute, he would come out of this bathroom and start the trial... in his living room.

 

 

Sunggyu braced himself before coming out to the living room. A silent war was ensuing and the room is thick with suffocating judgement and misunderstanding. Dongwoo was standing, his back leaning to the bookcase, observing the situation. Beside him, there was Myungsoo, his face expresionless and almost bored.

Sungjong and Hoya sat on the couch. Woohyun sat on the chair opposite of them. They were glaring dagger to each other.

Sunggyu’s eyes perked up when he saw who was between them. Sungyeol sat on the one seater sofa. He bit his lips nervously, eyes darted from time to time between Sungjong and Woohyun. When he saw a glimpse of Sunggyu standing in front of the bathroom door, he gave a smile.

And Sunggyu found his lost strength.

He cleared his throat and six pairs of eyes were immediately on him.

“All of us are here now,” Hoya said. “What is it that you want to tell us, Lawyer Kim?”

“I... happened to find an important fact that we’ve all been missing in this case,” he said nervously. What if Sungyeol’s wrong? What if Woohyun and Sungjong were just hating each other so much?

“And what is that?” Hoya asked.

“Err.. gentlemen,” he said and he could hear Hoya and Myungsoo snorted. That snapped him out of his nervousness. He switched off all of his courtesy and formality. This is not the court anyway.

“Alright, guys, so I have an important announcement regarding this case...” and he repeated what Sungyeol said to him that night.

When he finished, it was eerily silent. He looked at his guests. Myungsoo smiled proudly, Dongwoo too. Hoya looked confused but didn’t open his mouth. He didn’t dare to look at Sungyeol.

Woohyun and Sungjong were both red in the face. Sunggyu hoped they were just embarrassed and not angry.

“That was... impossible,” Woohyun said. He looked at Sunggyu. His eyes were a mix of emotion – betrayed, surprised, amazed, embarrassed.

Sungjong looked up. “Why? Are you saying that was not accurate?”

“No...” Woohyun said... looked at the floor again. His cheeks got even redded.  “He was right, at least about my part.”

Sungjong was blushing furiously. Sunggyu slapped himself twice to see if he didn’t just imagining the blush. “He was right too about my part,” he said.

“So... I... All of those harsh words from you... it actually just you’re being jealous to me?” Woohyun asked.

“I’m not jealous!” Sungjong denied but everybody could hear the truth anyway. “But were you actually heartbroken because of me?”

“Yes!” Woohyun exclaimed. “You were ignoring all of my advances! I felt like shit that time, so I just tried to distract myself with inviting boys over... then you started to get really mad at me. I thought you hate me for real.”

“I’m sorry for ignoring your advances. I was just playing hard to get but I never thought you’d take it the wrong way,” Sungjong said.

They both looked at each other. Still with blushing cheek but with addition of shy smile and gooey eyes and everybody started to feel like an outsider. Hoya cleared his throat.

“Sooo...” he said. “The case is over like this?”

“Yes. I’m dropping the charge,” Sungjong said.

The crowd cheered and even Sunggyu clapped his hand. This was better than he expected. He looked at the happy people in his living room and felt pleasantly warm all over.

Woohyun approached Sungjong and they exchange a hug that soon changed into a slow dance session (someone turned on the music). On the couch, didn’t know since when, Hoya and Dongwoo were busy making out. Sunggyu immediately sought for the person he was missing so much but before he could find him, someone gripped his wrist and led him to the bedroom.

They entered the dark bedroom. The person opened the balcony door and brought him down to sit next to each other.

“Hey,” Sungyeol said.

“Hey,” Sunggyu answered.

“You were great,” Sungyeol said and Sunggyu felt so happy, so proud, that he thought maybe this was a better feeling than when winning a trial.

“Did you just say that because I choose your advice?” Sunggyu didn’t really want to bring this into their conversation so soon, but he needed to know.

“Yes,” Sungyeol said. Sunggyu’s heart dropped.

“I’ll be honest, if you choose to proceed with the trial, I won’t say you did great,” Sungyeol said. “But I will still be here. Regardless what you choose, I won’t leave you. But I’m glad you choose happiness over a measly win.”

Sunggyu looked at Sungyeol and found him looking back at his eyes. Sungyeol looked a bit sad, and guilty.

“I’m really sorry,” he said. “I overstepped our boundary. I know I did what I wasn’t supposed to do.”

 “No,” Sunggyu said quickly. “You didn’t. You were only giving me a suggestion, but you didn’t force anything on me. I’m sorry for judging you too quickly. I thought you were trying to control me when you left that night.”

“I was sad, I was hurt. I gotta leave back then, but you should have known that I will come back.”

Sungyeol looked so sincere, so honest, so beautiful and Sunggyu fell in love all over again.

“You do come back,” Sunggyu whispered.

“I do,” Sungyeol answered.

They look at each other and Sunggyu smiled.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Sunggyu moved his head closer and when their lips touched, he knew he made the right decision. He may lose a chance to win, but he got a lover and six new friends in exchange, and that wasn’t a bad deal.

 

 

Sunggyu finally got his first case a week later. It was still another mundane case, but he won the trial. Several cases later, he finally had another chance to face Hoya and althought he lost, he lost with a good fight.

Woohyun and Sungjong visited often. They were enjoying their sweet love after a year of misunderstanding and Sunggyu heard a rumor that all of their neighbors were planning to file a complaint due to the noises they make. It looked like Woohyun was really that good and Sungjong was actually louder than any of Woohyun’s one night stands.

Dongwoo and Hoya were going out secretly. They thought nobody know about this but Sunggyu went to a toilet when they were in a court and walked in on them doing... things that Woohyun and Sungjong would likely do. He assured them he won’t tell their respective bosses and it felt nice to have an upper hand from Hoya, although he still haven’t officially beaten him in the court.

He and Sungyeol were going steady. They’re also as much in love as Woohyun/Sungjong and Hoya/Dongwoo too. Every morning he woke up alone, because Sungyeol always up early for his morning caffeine but he never went to the bed alone. Sometimes he still let Sungyeol came with him to investigate. Other time Sungyeol invited him to watch his play. Sunggyu had seen two so far and they were amazing.

Life had never been this good.

 

 

(Bonus)

“Did Myungsoo told you that he visited me? That time when we fought for the first time?” Sunggyu asked one night when they were snuggling in the bed, ready to sleep.

“Why are you still talking about Myungsoo?” Sungyeol whined. “Stop being insecure about him.”

“I don’t know. He’s so handsome that I find it hard to believe that he’s still single, the only explanation I can came up with is that he’s secretly head over heels for you, but he actually helped me to get you, so I don’t understand. Unless... is he asexual?”

“Hyung, don’t be like that. Myungsoo has a girlfriend. She actually lives with him.“

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, her name is Byeol.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Byeol here is Byeol the cat :p


End file.
